There are very important things you want to do, need to do, but the time never seems right. Things so important they belong on a different day, month, year, planet. A quiet, harmonious planet, one with no distractions, where we can think clearly. But nobody can get there, and lives, businesses, and dreams need pursuing. Maybe…
So the time was early January, and I had just worked with Bill Strong and his team at Strongfab to finalize their overarching strategy for the year. Their Q1 operating objectives were in place under all the segments of the plan. Starting in January, their primary growth strategy was to enter the automotive market by…
I heard it from three of the five members of the management team during individual coaching sessions. Not all at once but over a few months. I addressed it with Mike very carefully and, not to my surprise he was aware of the feeling. Together we explored the mission critical initiatives he had managed over…
Jack was running his business in the cavernous footsteps of his larger-than-life father. The father loved to make big deals and was very successful for most of his life. Jack’s father was prominent in the community, a philanthropist, sought after by the boards of local charities, and honored as a major contributor. Not surprisingly, Jack…
“The decorative aluminum grill market moved to pre-finished materials and it took us three months to get our designs straightened out and a new set of standard inventory items set for distribution. We have finally made the initial run and sent the stock to the field six months after our competitors. Now they want custom…
Joe needed to increase gross margin. He had stated it simply. “Look, guys. We need to increase gross margin right now. It’s been declining so we need to get it back to where it was last year.” That was four months ago. The whole team had sprung into action. Estimating overestimated. Operations refocused on high-margin…
Because it is sometimes hard for CEOs to navigate alone, I began offering Leadership Team Coaching about a year ago. It has proven to be a very valuable tool for my clients. If you as CEO are feeling that something is missing in your management team performance or cooperation it may be just the thing…
At this time of year I encourage all those I work with to be thoughtful about what they want to put energy into in the coming months. Those conversations nearly always end with statement of several business or personal goals since I often serve as their coach or business advisor. This is great because it…
At the Vistage International Chair and Member Conference I attended last week, nearly 1000 people with similar ideas lived together in a bubble for four days. Since the Gaylord Texan Resort is covered by a gigantic glass structure filled with fanciful canyons, waterfalls and dessert landscapes the illusion was complete. Most of us never went…